If You Can’t Stand the Heat
by AriannaWhite
Summary: A heatwave leaves Dipper, Mabel, and Wendy restless and searching for something to do. Just a silly one-off to get back into writing.


"Record high temperatures are being reported throughout the county," the staticky radio announces. "The department of water and power warns that rolling power outages are likely, due to increased A/C usage, so have your handheld fans and candles ready, Gravity Falls!"

"Ugh! _Record highs_?" Wendy groans, leaning her elbows on the Mystery Shack counter, her chin resting on her hands. She takes her signature ushanka off and uses it as a fan, red hair clinging to the sweat on her forehead.

"Eh, it's not that bad. It means more tourists will go anywhere they can get indoors, hoping for some free air conditioning," Stan remarks as he straightens the 'Lucky Jackalope Foot' keychain display. "We don't have any here, but they'll have to pay the non-refundable admission fee before they figure it out," he finishes with a sly grin.

"I dunno, Grunkle Stan. The place has been practically dead all day," Dipper remarks from a seat along the wall, awaiting a breeze through the cracked window. He peers out the window, as if expecting some customers to appear out of thin air. The sun is slowly setting behind the trees on the horizon and Dipper is relieved - sunset means it might cool down a little.

"Practically dead? It's been dead-dead, Dipper. So dead, it's undead - and we know undead when we see it!" Mabel chimes in from her spot on the hardwood floor. She pulls a 'Map of Mysteries' off a nearby display and begins using it to fan Waddles, who's splayed out next to her.

Stan grumbles as he turns away from the keychains to face everyone. "Maybe you guys are right. The only sale we've made all day is a Map of Mysteries," he turns to Mabel, "you use it, you buy it."

Mabel sticks her tongue out at him, but gingerly places the map back in its slot on the carousel of pamphlets and postcards.

"I'm gonna head into town and see if there are any tourists at all, or if the heatwave scared them off altogether. You guys man the Shack," Stan announces. "Wendy, you're in charge, I guess." He straightens his jacket and pats down his fez before walking briskly out the door, the doorbell ringing as he departs.

Wendy watches until Stan's car door shuts behind him before speaking. "Soooo, what are we gonna get up to while the Old Man is out?" she asks, leaning further forward on the counter to look expectantly at the twins.

Dipper looks at Wendy, then back out the window, making sure Stan is gone before answering. "Well, I have been wondering... there was something in the journal about some creature, or force, or something that manipulates the weather." He pulls the journal out of his vest and starts thumbing through the pages until he finds the one he's looking for. "It brought a tornado through once! Made hail the size of baseballs, another time and I -"

"Are you saying there's an adventure afoot?!" Mabel interrupts, springing up from the floor, causing Waddles to let out a surprised squeal. She places her hands on her hips and smiles widely at her twin.

"Sounds fun to me," Wendy agrees with a smirk, standing up straight and putting her hat back on. "Let's go."

"But - I - you guys didn't even let me finish!" Dipper's shoulders fall in aggravation, his face settling into a disgruntled pout.

"Crazy climate monster, stupid hot weather... We're gonna track down the beast that's making us sweat our butts off, right?" Wendy walks out from behind the counter and opens the door, pausing to look at Dipper.

"Well, yeah, that's basically it." Dipper shrugs, putting the journal away.

"Then c'mon! No grumps when there's a mystery to be solved!" Mabel runs over and drags Dipper off his chair, pulling him past Wendy and out the open door.

Wendy turns to lock up. "Keep an eye on the Shack, Waddles," she adds - earning a knowing oink from the little pig - before running after Mabel and Dipper into the woods.

———————

"Man, is it just me, or did it get dark fast?" Wendy steps carefully over a fallen tree branch, trying to find her way in what remains of the evening light.

"Yeah, the sun was _just_ starting to set when we left, it shouldn't be this dark yet," Dipper agrees, looking around and nearly stumbling over the same branch Wendy had just maneuvered.

"Maybe it's _the monster_," Mabel half-jokes, making a scary face and waving her arms for emphasis.

**_CRRRRRACK_**

A noise from behind them causes the trio to jump, grabbing for each other in a frightened huddle.

"I didn't mean call you a monster, I'm sure you're very nice!" Mabel wails in apology.

"What was that? Who's out here??" Dipper calls out, squinting his eyes and to trying to look around through the darkened trees.

Slowly, emerging from the shadows, slinks a form covered in leaves. The leaves are spread like feathers along its large, cat-like body. It stands as tall as the kids as it stalks towards them.

The trio screams in unison, turning to run, but fumbling over one another and tumbling to the dirt in a tangle of bodies. They hurry to their feet, but find themselves unable to move once they stand back up.

The figure shrinks down to a house cat size as it approaches, stopping in front of them.

"What is that thing?" Wendy asks, watching the figure closely as it comes to sit in front of the group.

"The journal said that the being was probably some kind of elemental or something. It didn't have any pictures," Dipper responds, his voice wavering.

"Aw! It's so cute! _Wook at its wittle kitty face_!" Mabel coos, putting her hands to her cheeks before moving to approach it.

"Mabel, don't!" Dipper tries to warn, grabbing for his sister's sleeve, but it's too late.

Mabel scurries over to the cat, now sitting, its leaf-covered tail crinkling was it swishes back and forth across the forest floor.

As she reaches out to touch its head, thunder claps loudly overhead, accompanied by a flash of lightning, stopping her in her tracks, hand hovering inches above the creature's head.

"It did _not _like that," Wendy says matter-of-factly.

The cat rolls itself onto its back and a wind rustles through the trees as it stretches out on the ground. It lets out gravelly mewl and reaches a paw towards Mabel's still-frozen hand, barely touching her.

"Hello," an unfamiliar voice emits from Mabel's mouth.

Mabel screams and jumps back.

"Dude, did it just _talk_ through you?" Wendy's eyes are wide, darting back and forth between the figure lounging on the dirt and Mabel's shocked face.

"Try it again," Dipper urges, his curiosity throwing caution to the wind.

"Why don't _you_ try it?" Mabel points a finger at her brother, not wanting to be the guinea pig anymore.

Dipper's face drops, not expecting to be put on the spot. "I... uh... I don't -" he stammers. He takes a deep breath and exhales, closing his eyes. "Fine," he acquiesces, unable to come up with an excuse. He steps up to the animal, Wendy and Mabel close behind. He sits on the ground in front of it and reaches out to pet it, letting his hand pause a couple inches from its body.

The creature rolls back up to its seat and places its paw atop Dipper's hand.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," the same, unfamiliar voice announces, this time from Dipper's mouth.

Mabel's and Wendy's mouths hang open, stunned.

"Ask it something." Wendy elbows Mabel gently, urging her forward.

Mabel takes a half step, looking at the figure as it stares back at her, its head cocked to one side.

"Can I call you Weather Cat?"

"Weather Cat is fine, thank you, Mabel," the voice answers.

"It knows my name!" Mabel squeals.

"Your brother said it earlier," the cat remarks.

"Oh, right. Well, hmm..." Mabel shifts, tapping her chin, trying to think of a question.

"So, are you the one controlling this bizarro heatwave?" Wendy pipes up, kneeling down to look at the cat.

"Yes, you could say that. The climate responds to my needs. Usually, my needs align with yours - cold in the winter, warm in the summer, and so on - so you don't notice the weather being _bizarro,_" the voice explains, Dipper's lips forming around words that are not his own.

"What made you need hundred-degree heat? Or a hail the size of baseballs?" Wendy's eyebrows stitch together as she interrogates.

"Or a tornado?!" Mabel interjects, gesturing broadly with her arms as she does.

"The tornado was simply to clean up the trash that had been left all over the woods by careless campers, this heat is an ideal temperature for my sun naps, and the hail... well, that was just for fun. I needed entertainment, and watching humans scramble around was pretty amusing for a day or two." The cat's tail continues its rhythmic swaying as it answers, seemingly unaffected by the oddity of the situation.

"How long have you been here in Gravity Falls, Weather Cat?" Mabel inquires, crossing her arms over the sun-wearing-sunglasses graphic on the front of her sweater.

"My kind have been around for ages... since the late 70s, at least." Dipper shrugs as the cat's voice emits lackadaisically.

"And you don't _want_ anything? There's not some _catch_ here? Like, you're not trying to wipe Geavity Falls off the map, or, I don't know, start a new ice age or something?" Wendy narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"I was drawn here by... anomalies... you all know the mystery that surrounds this place. It made it an ideal spot for me to stay. The town is already full of strange and unusual things. No one has come looking for their cause... until you three."

"Well, we'll keep you a secret," Mabel assures the being, her voice soft and earnest.

"_IF_," Wendy adds, "you'll cool it a little with this 'sun nap' weather."

The cat's tail twitches, and Dipper's face scrunches in contemplation.

"Pretty pleeeeease, Weather Cat." Mabel clasps her hands, pleading.

Another wind whistles through the surrounding trees as a tense moment passes.

"I suppose," the voice finally answers with a sigh.

"Thank you! Thank you, Weather Cat!" Mabel cheers.

"Yeah! No more stupid heat! I could just kiss you!" Wendy exclaims, placing her hands on Dipper's cheeks, just as the figure removes its paw from his hand.

Dipper blushes, back in his own body as Wendy makes her proclamation. "Well, uh, if you want to, I guess." He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck as his blush fades, eyes gazing longingly, but nervously at Wendy.

"Dipper! Welcome back, man." Wendy drops her hands from his cheeks and his shoulders fall with them before Wendy and Mabel scoop him up in a group hug.

"Dipper!" Mabel hollers as she squeezes her brother tight. "That was AWESOME, bro!" She releases her twin. "You were all, '_I speak for the almighty Weather Cat_,'" she chatters excitedly, putting on a grandiose voice and raising her hands skyward.

"Yeah, dude, and we convinced it to end this heatwave!" Wendy gives Dipper a pat on the back and a proud smile.

"All in a day's work," Dipper responds humbly, relishing in Wendy's smile.

"Oh, shoot!" Wendy starts. "How long have we been out here? We should get back before Stan does."

The Pines twins looks worriedly at each other before agreeing in unison.

The group turns to leave, all pausing to look back at the retreating feline figure.

It also pauses as it reaches the edge of the thickening wood, its tail waving lithely behind it as it looks over its shoulder at the kids.

The trio gives the creature a reassuring smile - and a knowing wink from Mabel - before departing back to the Mystery Shack.

———————

"Phew, we made it," Wendy announces with a breath of relief as she turns the key in the Mystery Shack's lock.

No sooner had they all settled back in did the sound of Stan's car come rolling up to the Shack.

"No tourists anywhere," Stan gripes as he steps over the threshold. He looks around at the content, but tired faces of his crew. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

Dipper, Mabel, and Wendy all mutter over one another that absolutely nothing had happened in Stan's absence.

"I'm just gonna pretend that's not suspicious," Stan says with a slight narrowing of his eyes as he walks past them. "If you need me, I'll be watching Duck-tective." He disappears into the house.

"Ooh, my favorite! Wait for me, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel hurries to join him.

Just as they vanish into the den, thunder booms nearby and lightning streaks the sky. Rain begins to patter against the wooden roof, sliding down the windows.

"Rain?" Dipper turns to watch as droplets trace their way along the dirty windowpanes.

"Well, Weather Cat _did_ promise to end the heatwave, but they never said _how_." Wendy chuckles softly, a smile across her face.

"Ha, yeah, I guess that's true." Dipper shrugs slightly, feeling his cheeks flush at the sound of Wendy's laugh.

"That reminds me!" Wendy turns to face Dipper, their eyes meeting. "You _were_ pretty amazing out there, letting that thing talk through you, and all, and I'm a woman of my word." She leans down and gives Dipper a kiss on the cheek. "See ya, Dipper." She goes to walk out the door, stopping with her hand on the doorknob. "Another adventure tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Dipper smiles, Wendy smiling back at him before stepping out into the rain, the door shutting softly behind her, as Dipper puts his hand to the warm spot on his cheek where he could still faintly feel Wendy's kiss.

"Oh, Duck-tective! How do you do it?" Mabel's voice echoing from the den interrupts Dipper's reverie before he goes to join his sister and uncle.


End file.
